This invention relates to a breading machine for selectively dispensing a breading material onto, food pieces which may be coated with batter and breading before being fried or cooked in some manner. More particularly, the invention comprises a breading machine which more effectively dispenses a breading material onto the food product and distributes a variety of breading materials more efficiently so as to avoid congestion or build up of the breading materials within the machine.
In the field of large scale production of prepared foods, many food items are desired to be coated with batter and breading before being fried in deep fat and subsequently distributed to the consumer. The breading material is conventionally a dry farinaceous material which may consist of a fine particle flour breading, Japanese style bread crumbs which display a wide variation in crumb sizes, or a free-flowing breading usually consisting of cracker meal of reasonably hard and roughly spherical particles ranging in different sizes. Each of the different breading materials has its own peculiarities which may have an effect in their distribution and handling within a breading machine. For example, a flour breading which may be a wheat or other grain flour including seasonings, spices, shortenings and other ingredients usually consists of ground dust-like particles having an tendency to pack or build up so as to create bridging of the breading material over openings within the breading machine inhibiting free flow and proper functioning of the machine. On the other hand, Japanese style crumbs usually consist of a modified wheat flour with small percentages of yeast, salt, sugar, vegetable oil and other additives. The Japanese style crumbs appear to be dried shredded white bread having particle sizes as large as one-half inch or as little as flour size particles with a distribution of sizes therebetween. The Japanese style crumbs attain no uniform shape and are very delicate such that they will not withstand the abuse that standard granular breadings will endure. The Japanese crumbs will also self-bridge over larger openings than that of other common granular breadings.
It should be recognized that the breading machine must either be constructed to handle an individual type of breading material or must contain features to accommodate different breading materials having different physical characteristics. It should also be understood that large scale producers desire a breading machine which can handle large volumes of food pieces while effectively providing a breading coating on both the top and bottom of the food pieces. Thus, the breading machines have become larger and more complex and are adapted to run at higher speeds for longer periods of time to accommodate the user's needs.
One prior art breading machine is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,160, which forms a bottom layer of breading on a moving product belt on which a battered food product to be breaded may be placed. The moving belt then carries the product under a falling curtain of breading which covers the top and sides of the battered product pieces to form a uniform coating of breading on all surfaces of the product. The product pieces may then be passed on to a series of rollers or the like which will gently press the top layer of the breading onto the product and onto and into the bottom layer on the moving belt. Excess breading may then be removed with vibrators or air curtains and the coated or breaded product is then removed from the breading machine.
Another breading machine as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,415 is designed more specifically for the application of Japanese style bread crumbs for insuring that the bottom and top product coating layers of breading supply the proper combination of coarse and fine Japanese style bread crumbs to uniformingly coat the bottom and top surfaces of the product pieces.
In both of the breading machines mentioned above, a common problem occurs in that the breading material tends to bridge across the flow openings within the breading machine, thereby stopping flow of the breading material within the breading machine necessitating stopping production and clearing the build up of breading material for proper operation of the machine. This is particularly a problem when the breading machine is run at higher speeds for the breading of a larger volume of food product. It must also be recognized that the handling of the various types of breading materials requires that the breading machine effectively distribute both fine particle flour breadings as well as the Japanese style bread crumbs without adversely affecting the more fragile Japanese style crumbs.
Another prior art breading machine is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,084 which shows a breading machine especially useful to flour breading applications having finely ground dust-like particles which have a tendency to pack under pressure. This breading machine includes a circulation system for the breading material for recirculation of any excess breading material recovered in a breading cycle. The circulation of the breading material includes a hopper suitable for use with flour or free flowing breading which dispenses the breading material onto the food products. A cross feed screw is utilized to carry excess breading material to a vertical screw which then recirculates the breading material to the hopper for subsequent application to the food products. It has been found at the location of the cross feed and vertical screws, the breading material may have the tendency to bridge and cause congestion within the breading machine thereby inhibiting its effective use for high volume production.